A SUPERMARKET giant’s bid to build a king-sized store in Caernarfon is back on the cards.

Back in 2008, Tesco unveiled plans to replace its existing site on South Road with a bigger and better facility, closer in size to the Tesco Extra store in Bangor.

As part of the original plans, the store would move to a patch of scrubland near the Cibyn industrial estate on Llanberis Road and build 54 homes on the South Road site instead.

However, Tesco’s bid came to an end in November when they withdrew their plans for the third time, rather than face rejection from the now defunct Arfon planning committee.

This week, after more than a year of a silence, Tesco revealed this week that they were “working hard behind the scenes” to rectify the plans, in line with the concerns raised by Gwynedd Council.

Although Tesco was not in a position to reveal details of the revised plans, the Herald understands that it could only be a matter of months before they are submitted.

Gwynedd Council also revealed this week that they had been in talks with Tesco officials.

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “Tesco presented the original planning application to develop a new superstore at Llanberis Road, on the outskirts of Caernarfon in December 2008.

“This application was withdrawn by the applicant a day before it was to be considered by the Arfon Area Committee.

“Prior to this, the Committee deferred consideration of the application on two occasions, partly on the request of the developers and because of officer recommendations that further time was required to consider information received.

“In November 2009, members of the Arfon Area Committee approved a planning application to develop 54 homes on the current Tesco site in Caernarfon.

“Officers from the Council’s Planning Service have held discussions with representatives from the company and have asked them to consider a number of factors before presenting a planning application.

“At present, the developer has not submitted a new planning application to develop a new superstore at the Llanberis Road site.”

Tesco’s original plan involved building a 61,000sq ft store complete with a cafe, 479 car parking spaces, including 22 disabled and 18 parent and toddler spaces, a six-pump petrol filling station and car wash - a move which they said would 275 jobs in total, which includes the 140 staff it already employs in the town.

Once again, the new plans are bound to divide opinion in the town, with many people speaking out with arguments for and against the development.

During the consultation phase in 2008, Caernarfon town councillor Hywel Roberts had canvassed local residents in his ward to gauge opinion and said that many people were opposed to the plans.

However, he vowed to keep an open mind once the new plans were brought to the fore.

He said; “I was extremely concerned with the location of the original plans and the effect it would have on the traffic and trade in the town centre.

“The fact that Tesco pulled back the plans in the face of strong opposition shows that the scheme had real problems which needed to be re-examined.”